My 21 year old DS has been de-registered from his university degree after repeating the first year twice.

[Tigerzmum]

My 21 year old DS has been de-registered from his university degree after repeating the first year twice. He has appealed but he should have put in his mitigating circumstances before sitting his exams at the latest. Both himself and I have no idea what he will do next. He does seem to have learning difficulties, while in some aspects being high functioning, on the surface seeming to be able to cope with the normal responsibilities of his age, but his organisation and attention to detail are very problematic. He wants to return to academic study in another subject, but student finance will only allow a further 2 more years for the sfe loan (as he has already had 3 years, which also included a foundation year);

For any decent apprenticeship or internship he will need a good degree. He is not cut out for non academic study.

What mitigating circumstances?

I take it he failed the second attempt too?

He doesn't need a degree to do a degree level apprenticeship. He would study for the degree in a day release basis whilst working. What area is he interested in?

So he's done 1st year 3 times now?

I cant see any mitigating circumstances that would compensate for him to have failed 3 times. In fairness it sounds like the Uni have done the right thing.

He really doesn't sound as if he's cut out for studying. Which is fair enough lots of folk aren't.

This sounds like the best approach for an academic kid not coping with university. Structure and the discipline of work will probably suit him better. Once he’s matured he can always return to FT study for a masters.

Also help him get assessed for whatever the LD is, so he can access support.

I don't have advice on what exactly he should do next. I can say the exact same thing happened to me at his age though so I do feel for him and you.
I ended up going to college and doing an HND in something else that I loved instead. It was the right move for me and took so much pressure off for myself and my parents.
I worked happily in the business area the HND covered and did further training later in life. I'm now happily qualified as a therapist and have my own successful business, own my own home and have a very settled family life.
What I'm saying is it didn't really hold me back despite it feeling like my world collapsing at the time. It will be ok.
This is your son's chance to start over in something else and find his path in the way that works for him. Good luck to him.

I think he needs to get a job right now. He can always return to study later but I think he needs a break from it, and to experience some success and gain some self-awareness of what he needs to be successful.

sadly yes :-(

If you think he has learning difficulties, maybe this is a time to get him an assessment and work out what support he needs to succeed, if he wants to pursue university studies for sure.

Such apt answers, Thank you all so much. He really is a lovely child but needs a lot of help to pull things together. It's like he is compensating superficially to make things look okay both at home and in Uni; I would not say he is lazy it's just that he is so easily distracted even when I'm speaking to him.

But, when I take control of his organisation, he is able to do well. -at Uni he seemed to fall apart. -But he survived through study during lockdown, when we were both a home.

I think he needs a break from academic study
For whatever reason, he is not the right fit for it
Encourage him to look for a job based around his interests

During lockdown, he probably had less distractions?

By the time a university de-registers a student, they have likely been through all the support processes already. I think explore any learning difficulties, if you think he has them, and maybe in future years he can go back more equipped to succeed. Of course, uni is not for everyone and maybe it's not what he needs? It really depends what he wants to do as a career and what is needed to achieve that.

The thing is even if a person has learning disabilities they still sit exactly the same exam as everyone else. They might get a bit extra time but that is all the additional support in exams. If your DS did a foundation degree it was because he didn't get good enough grades to start the degree. He's had 2 chances at degree level work and failed. Not everyone is suited to academic study. Could he look at a trade OP? Tradesmen often earn as much or more than graduates and they are in short supply.

Sounds similar to ADHD (autism can also have executive function difficulties) given said gets distracted in conversations and struggles to work without routines & support, better while home studying perhaps as you've taken over some responsibilities / providing direction & maybe benefit of body doubling to help focus on study if others around WFH too.

I flunked uni and did a work+ study route which provided more structure, than uni's self directed study which left to me to organise and get totally overwhelmed so couldn't start early enough. Uni don't care if you don't show up to class that day but you know you'll be in 💩with work. homelife was more settled routine, where student flats were chaotic & noisy. I wasn't diagnosed ADHD till years later though, so I had also messed up at work and had periods of burnout because I was having to work lot harder than others compensating to get the jobs done and when other demands/stress/ poor sleep mounted up all the spinning plates dropped.

He needs to find area is passionate in to hold his interest and will play up to his strengths without too much pressure on weaker areas and may need to take some time to work out what that is before commits to years on new study/career path. It's really hard knowing your capable and still failing and is sure to have battered his self confidence.